The Big Difference: Rutgers field hockey Big Ten prospectus

On challenge playing in Big Ten: "It is going to be competitive. We are a young squad. We had quite a few freshmen start and play the majority of every game last year. So that kind of core group got a considerable amount of experience. We made it tough. I wanted them to experience what it was going to be like. Big Ten field hockey is physical, it's fast, and it's a competitive conference in that anybody can win it. It's absolutely going to be a challenge, but I think we're up for that challenge.''

On recruiting: "Field hockey in New Jersey is the best. This is the hotbed for our sport, and I think my theory is you can play Big Ten field hockey in your backyard here. We're getting so much more interest from a lot of the local talent. They're excited to play at that level, and play in the Big Ten Conference right here in their home state. It's really helping recruiting. We also recruit quite a bit internationally. We have three Canadian players, an Australian player, and a player from the UK. I think that the Big Ten is a draw for international recruits as well, athletically and academically. It's big time.''

On travel: "We tend to kind of schedule non-conference (games) regionally anyway because there are so many good teams in this area. Field hockey is lucky because we have so many strong opponents in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and Connecticut so we're able to stay close to home and really have a strong non-conference schedule. But we're excited to go out to Michigan and Northwestern this season. I think it's exciting for us to get out there and get on these other Big Ten campuses and see their facilities. They have a really great athletics atmosphere. So we're excited about that.''

On facilities: "I think facilities here at Rutgers is something that Julie (Hermann) is really committed to improving. That's a big mission for our department right now, and she's raising a ton of money. Field hockey, we're really fortunate. The playing surface is Astroturf 12, water-based. We have the best surface possible. Right now we're working hard to create more of an atmosphere around our field. You don't get that stadium feel. That's what the administration and marketing is working with me on, just to make it a little more intimate and exciting. In the past year, they've done a good job of marketing our Olympic sports. We need the support of the students, the faculty, the fans, in order for us to be successful.

On the Big Ten Network: "We're always watching the Big Ten Network. As far as the conference getting field hockey on TV, especially the tournaments, the Big Ten Network is the best. Everywhere else you're trying to get it online. Field hockey, there's not a lot of exposure. The World Cup is going on right now and we have computers on in the office but to be able to turn on the TV and watch field hockey, that's awesome.''

On fundraising: "We're kind of right now beginning a field hockey locker room renovation project. So over here we have a locker room at the RAC across from the field. We just had our offices moved over here so our field, our weight room, our locker room will all be here. We had an alumni event this spring. We had a lot of players come back, and they were all excited about the Big Ten. Everybody is excited about our progress the last two years. They're excited about where we're going as a program. We're just going to try to drum up as much support as we can moving forward. Because it isn't a revenue-producing sport. So we rely on our fans and alumni a lot for that.''

On goal for the program over next five years: "We'll be competing for Big Ten championships and we're going to be competing for NCAA championships. I truly believe that. I know this program has everything it needs to be successful. We have to work hard and continue to recruit the best student-athletes from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I'm beyond excited about our future. This move to the Big Ten is going to push us to the next level. We are ready for it. These young players coming in are part of winning programs and they want to bring that mentality to Rutgers.''

Sizing up the competition: All seven current Big Ten members have made at least one NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009. Fellow Big Ten newcomer Maryland is a perennial National Championship contender, winning consecutive NCAA titles in 2010 and '11. Rutgers, meanwhile, hasn't made an NCAA Tournament appearance since 1986. The Scarlet Knights compiled a .269 winning percentage (28-76) in 19 seasons competing in the Big East, but showed signs of growth in Long's second season by posting their first non-losing record in six years last fall. The Big Ten is deep but wide open. Since 2009, five different Big Ten teams have won at least a share of the league title. Last season, Northwestern and Penn State were co-champions and five of the seven Big Ten teams had plus .500 records.

The numbers matter: Rutgers field hockey isn't fully funded, armed with the equivalent of 10.32 scholarships while NCAA permits schools 12. Its operating expenditures last year added up to $653,445, with student fees ($130,150) and direct institutional support ($501,948) mostly used to balance the budget. Like its new Big Ten peers, Rutgers doesn't charge for tickets and received $12,047 in contributions, a far cry from the $398,299 received by Maryland, which produced $565,114 in revenue to make up for its $1.02 million operating budget. Rutgers spent $9,404 in recruiting and $67,621 in travel costs. Penn State's recruiting budget was twice as much and its travel expenditures added up to nearly $102,000.